Chapter 187: The Eighth Commander of the Black Abyss Army: Lu Bu!
"At the peak of Dou Qi, reigning over the world where there is Xiao Yan, there is heaven..."
Gu Luan and Gu Zhen exchanged puzzled glances. The sentiment made sense, but the problem was clear: this person wasn't Xiao Yan.
Both had seen Xiao Yan's portrait and knew the man before them wasn't him. The real Xiao Yan wasn't as handsome; in fact, his appearance was as average as Commander Gu Zhen's. Gu Luan thought to herself, Who is this guy? How could someone at his age have such incredible strength? Even Ling Quan and Yang Hao two of the most outstanding talents in the Black Abyss Army can't compare to him.
One had to remember that Ling Quan and Yang Hao were among the elite chosen from millions of Gu Clan descendants. If a random outsider from the Dou Qi Continent surpassed them so easily, what was the point of their bloodline advantage?
Gu Luan and Gu Zhen exchanged another look, tacitly agreeing to probe this stranger further. They remained silent, letting their furious subordinates release their auras to surround Lu Bu.
Su Qian stood nearby, his mouth twitching. He seemed to want to say something but hesitated, unsure what to say. After a moment, he came to a decision: Let these arrogant soldiers from the Gu Clan's Black Abyss Army take a beating. It wouldn't hurt.
The upcoming confrontation with two Heaven ranked Protectors from the Hall of Souls would require cooperation and mutual trust. If these Black Abyss soldiers weren't put in their place, working with them would be troublesome.
However, Su Qian couldn't do it himself. Though he was strong enough to win against them, his advanced age would make his victory meaningless to the Black Abyss Army. They would dismiss it as an advantage of age and experience. When I was younger, I could've crushed you... Wait until thirty years have passed. You'll regret underestimating me, they'd think.
Letting Lu Bu handle this was the only option.
On the other side, the Black Abyss soldiers roared and moved into formation. Three man groups synchronized their Dou Qi, forming long, sharp spears of energy. Though proud, they weren't stupid. Seeing that Lu Bu was a peak Dou Wang, a level on par with their Fifth and Sixth Commanders, they went all out immediately.
Lu Bu glanced at the Black Abyss soldiers with a faint smirk. Like Su Qian, he believed they needed a good lesson. These arrogant soldiers wouldn't listen without a fight.
His eyes gleamed with sharpness, and his soul force instantly locked onto all the Dou Qi spears. Just then, several Black Abyss soldiers who had remained silent at the rear suddenly shouted in unison:
"Binding Spirit Net!"
The air warped, and an invisible, translucent net descended from above, swiftly enveloping and restraining Lu Bu.
"Huh…" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow in surprise. The net had appeared so abruptly that even his soul force hadn't detected it.
"Interesting…" Lu Bu muttered. The net had some remarkable qualities. If he recalled correctly, the Black Abyss Army had used a similar net in the original story during the Soul Heavenly Emperor's invasion of the Gu Clan space to seize the Gu Clan's Emperor Jade.
However, back then, the traitor Gu Yang had easily destroyed the net, leaving the Black Abyss Army embarrassed in front of the Soul Clan, Yan Clan, and Lei Clan. It had taken Xiao Yan's intervention to force Gu Yang to self destruct.
Lu Bu had no intention of meddling in that future event or exposing this net's limitations. His goal was to reach Dou Di, and he needed others to help gather the Tou She Ancient Emperor Jade.
"He's caught!"
"Attack!"
The Black Abyss soldiers cheered, their energy spears shooting toward Lu Bu from all directions.
They avoided fatal strikes, as the "Xiao Yan" before them was connected to their clan's heiress. Hurting him too much could lead to trouble though they didn't know that this man wasn't Xiao Yan.
Gu Luan and Gu Zhen exchanged glances. Could it be that he was so weak he'd been defeated in one move?
At that moment, faint blue flames flickered to life, and the Binding Spirit Net that restrained Lu Bu disintegrated instantly.
Gu Luan's pupils contracted. What kind of fire is this? It was overwhelmingly powerful, even capable of burning the Binding Spirit Net.
"It must be a Heavenly Flame," Gu Zhen said, his eyes narrowing.
Boom!
With a slight tremor, the flaming Binding Spirit Net shattered completely. As the incoming energy spears reached him, Lu Bu waved his sleeve. His soul force surged outward, condensing into spears of its own that collided with the Dou Qi spears.
"What… How is his soul force so powerful?" Even someone as composed as Gu Zhen couldn't help but be alarmed.
In the instant Lu Bu unleashed his soul force, Gu Zhen felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Though brief, the feeling was undeniable. This man's combat strength is on par with Qing Yang Commander and our heiress!
"Damn it, where did this monster come from?" Gu Luan's face twitched. She shared Gu Zhen's thoughts.
"Second Commander, let's not spread word of this incident," Gu Luan suddenly suggested, her eyes glinting mischievously.
If they had to suffer, others like Yang Hao, Liu Ling, and Lin Xiu should suffer too. Especially Gu Yao, that arrogant prick. He definitely deserved a beating.
"Agreed," Gu Zhen said, immediately catching on to her idea. Without hesitation, he nodded.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
In the blink of an eye, Lu Bu's soul spears clashed with the soldiers' Dou Qi spears. The soldiers were sent flying backward, their faces each bearing a distinct handprint.
In an instant, every Black Abyss soldier was defeated. They had shown restraint, and Lu Bu had reciprocated by holding back, merely giving them a small taste of discipline.
"Bastard!" The soldiers roared, their killing intent surging. This was no longer just a battle; it was personal.
They were proud members of the Gu Clan. Being slapped in the face like this was the ultimate humiliation.
"Enough! Stand down!" Gu Zhen coughed lightly, his voice infused with Dou Qi to halt the soldiers' rage.
The soldiers froze, their killing intent redirected at Gu Zhen. If he couldn't explain himself, they wouldn't hesitate to fight him either. The honor of the Gu Clan was paramount, even above the Black Abyss Army's rules.
"Alright, let me explain!" Gu Luan stepped in, coughing lightly as well. Pointing at Lu Bu, she said, "This is the Eighth Commander of the Black Abyss Army, Lu Bu personally appointed by Commander Xun'er!"
The soldiers froze in shock. What? The Eighth Commander?
How could the Eighth Commander be stronger than the Fifth Commander?
Lu Bu shrugged and decided to spare their pride. He raised his hand, revealing a black command token the one given to him by Xiao Xun'er.
"So… he's really the Eighth Commander?" The soldiers were stunned, their killing intent dissipating.
They had known of the Eight Commanders and Four Commanders but had never met this particular one. Many had aspired to climb the ranks, but now it seemed wiser to aim for the Seventh Commander position instead. Competing with Lu Bu was clearly out of the question.
Wait… If he was the Eighth Commander, why had he called himself Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan?
The soldiers exchanged bewildered looks. Their Eighth Commander… seemed a bit eccentric.
"Cough, cough… Alright, members of the Black Abyss Army, let's focus on the Hall of Souls protectors," Elder Su Qian coughed twice, attempting to change the subject.
He hadn't expected Lu Bu to turn out to be a commander of the Black Abyss Army. Does this kid even look like someone from the Gu Clan? If he were truly from the Gu Clan, would he need to struggle so much to gather cultivation resources?
Moreover, Lu Bu's formidable soul power and enviable alchemy skills were traits far more akin to the Hall of Souls or the Medicine Clan. It was baffling.
At Su Qian's words, the soldiers of the Black Abyss Army froze momentarily before withdrawing their Dou Qi without further protest. Issuing commands was the job of their commanders they wouldn't interfere.
"Commanders, I suspect the Hall of Souls protectors may have already acted against us," Su Qian said gravely.
Lu Bu's expression shifted instantly. "Elder Su Qian, what do you mean? Has the Hall of Souls sent people again?"
He had only arrived upon sensing Su Qian's burst of aura and was unclear about the earlier context.
"The Black Abyss Army is here because two Heaven ranked Protectors have been spotted in the Black Corner Region," Su Qian explained. "Based on our speculation, they've likely come to avenge the death of Protector Xuan."
Lu Bu's face darkened. Heaven ranked Protectors were likely high level Dou Zong experts and two of them, no less.
While he had the strength to fight them, it wasn't a battle he could handle alone. There was no benefit in fighting these protectors solo. He needed to pull in Xiao Yan and Yao Lao to share the risk.
Lu Bu's mind raced. Immediately, he decided to involve Xiao Yan and Yao Lao. On the matter of opposing the Hall of Souls, their interests were aligned with his own.
"Furthermore, commanders," Su Qian continued, "a few days ago, two of our academy's instructors disappeared. Initially, we thought it was just a random attack, but now it seems…"
Hearing this, Lu Bu and the other two commanders' expressions turned grim. As expected, dealing with the Hall of Souls was never straightforward. They had already begun to make their move.
"Elder Su Qian, have we sent anyone out to investigate?" Lu Bu asked seriously. In the previous battle against the Black Alliance, Su Qian had likely worked early on to eliminate witnesses and control information within the academy.
The only way to learn about Protector Xuan was by interrogating people from the Jia Nan Academy. But Su Qian hadn't anticipated that their enemies would act so quickly.
"Yes, we've sent people," Su Qian said. "Originally, I wanted you to go, but you were nowhere to be found. Instead, we located Xiao Yan, so I sent him instead."
"Tsk…" Lu Bu's pupils contracted. Going against the Hall of Souls without Yao Lao and Xiao Yan's help would be a disaster.
Gu Luan and Gu Zhen's expressions also darkened. They were well aware that Xiao Yan was currently the strongest member of the Xiao Clan. If they guessed correctly, the ancient jade was likely in his possession. If he were captured, the consequences would be dire.
"Let's move immediately to support them!" Lu Bu said decisively. He knew that if Xiao Yan fell into the Hall of Souls' hands, Lu Bu would lose a vital shield that attracted the Hall's attention.
Without Xiao Yan, the immense pressure from the Hall of Souls would shift directly onto him. That would be a disaster. It was like the 1990s when the collapse of the Soviet Union left China facing the full brunt of U.S. pressure.
"Elder Su Qian, where are they?" Lu Bu asked urgently.
"I'll take you there!" Su Qian also understood the stakes. If Yao Lao met his end within the Jia Nan Academy's territory, the news would spread, and Wind Venerable might personally lead a force to the academy.
Without hesitation, Su Qian's figure blurred as he shot into the sky. Lu Bu and the Black Abyss Army followed closely behind.
Meanwhile, deep within the forest.
Xiao Yan and his group of six moved swiftly through the dense woods, but unease nagged at Xiao Yan's heart.
It's too smooth. Every time they seemed on the verge of losing the trail, they would conveniently find a clue bloodstains, strands of hair, or scraps of torn clothing.
It was so smooth that it made his scalp tingle. It felt as though they were like rats being lured into a trap with a trail of bait.
"Wait!" Xiao Yan landed lightly, blocking the others. He turned to the leading elder and said gravely, "Elder Ge, don't you think this is all too convenient?"
The five others landed behind him, exchanging hesitant glances. They were eager to press on, but Xiao Yan's words made them pause. If they were walking into a trap, the consequences could be fatal they might never find their missing instructors.
Xiao Yan couldn't read their thoughts but quickly laid out his concerns.
None of the five were inexperienced, and they immediately understood his reasoning. However, rescuing their missing comrades was equally urgent.
"We need to figure out who the enemy is!" Xiao Yan said firmly. "If it turns out to be a Dou Zong level opponent, we'll be completely wiped out!"
Elder Ge, standing atop a tree branch, frowned deeply. He racked his brain, trying to identify a potential enemy, but no clear suspects came to mind.
Those with motives lacked the strength, and those with strength lacked motives.
After a long silence, Xiao Yan sighed. "Elders, has anything unusual happened in or around the academy recently?"
The group's focus shifted as they began to discuss. Unusual occurrences were rare, especially those that could catch the attention of Dou Huang or Dou Wang level individuals.
"The Mo Yan Valley has been causing trouble, trying to interfere in the profits from Medicine Emperor City."
"That's not unusual they've always been greedy."
"There's been chaos around Black Emperor City. Several factions are locked in bloody battles, and unfamiliar forces keep appearing."
"That's also normal. In the Black Corner Region, there's constant fighting over cultivation resources."
"Elder Huo seems to have taken an interest in creating shiny trinkets and…"
Everyone turned to glare at the speaking elder, who chuckled sheepishly. "Well… that's not strange either…"
"No, wait you've given me an idea," Elder Ge suddenly said. "Something has been off in Medicine Emperor City. A few days ago, Elders Meng and Liao reported a mysterious presence spying on them, but they couldn't identify who it was."
As soon as Elder Ge spoke, the air grew icy. Black mist surged forth, and an eerie chill engulfed the entire forest.
"Jie jie jie… As expected of Jia Nan Academy. Your senses are sharp," a ghostly voice cackled.
The chilling laughter echoed through the dense forest as Xiao Yan and the others were swallowed by the encroaching black mist.
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